Most days I am ok with this grief thing. I never quite lose what my mom used to call that “wet” feeling in my gut, but I can manage to push through and even push it aside for periods of time. When I am at work, this is particularly possible, but, right now, thanks to […]
About Jenn Rigger
On Death and Wildflowers
My mother, Becky, loved sunflowers. She grew them in her yard and would announce each and every summer that they had “never been as pretty as this year!” Becky also had a somewhat unorthodox view of religion and what happens when we die. She believed that the actions and the memories of the people left […]
Day 3 – Did we really leave the Badlands for THIS???
Jenn’s Take Today started out rough for me. A mini existential crisis, of sorts. We decided to try one of the accessible trails, basically a boardwalk in the park that you could leave to hike a half-mile trail in the sediment peaks that are the main Badlands. feature. You can do that hike unless you […]
Day Two — “Les mauvais terres pour traverse” or “Bad lands to travel through”
Chris’ Take: If this were the only day of our vacation I would not feel cheated. Geology and time have created a marvel that we have managed, so far, not to destroy. There are pure, terrifyingly inspiring places in this land, places of twisted trees and layers of geologic record, of civilizations come and gone […]
Day One — Are we there yet?
Jenn’s Take: Blessedly the travel from DC to Denver was uneventful: easy flights and a squeeze who was willing to be a pack mule. We almost died in the taxi going to our rental car (I am exaggerating… slightly), but got our car and set out for provisions. Target took 2 hours – 2 HOURS […]
Chris and Jenn Head West!!!
Day 1 Arrive Denver, travel to Badlands National Park, SD Day 2 Tour the Badlands National Park Day 3 Travel to Rapid City, SD via the Badlands and Wall Day 4 Tour Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park Day 5 Travel to Dillon, CO via Wind Cave National Park Day 6 Tour Rocky Mountain National […]